Cabinet cover latch



p 5, 96 R. c. BENCENE ETAL 3,339,956

CABINET COVER LATCH Filed NOV. 17, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l "l NUHHHHHHHHHWIWWIMWE INVENTORS MALCOLM 7. PHELPS ROBERT c. BENCENE ATTOZQNEYS Sept. 5, 1967 c. BENCENE ETAL 3,339,956

CABINET COVER LATCH Filed Nov. 17, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TORSMALCOLM T. PHELPS ROBERT C. BENCENE A TTOPNE United States Patent FiledNov. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 508,282 2 Claims. (Cl. 292-127) Jamestown, toWeber-Knapp Company, James- ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A latch assemblyincluding a latch member and associated pivot bracket and spring biasingmeans mounted for positional adjustment on a base member, the basemember serving in conjunction with a sleeve in an associated cabinetstructure to slidably support a latch release member in such fashion asto allow the aforesaid positional adjustment of the latch mechanismitself.

This invention relates to cabinet door or cover or lid latch devices;and more particularly to push-button-released type latches which engagespring-loaded cabinet closures; and which upon manual actuation releasethe closures to pop open.

The invention is applicable for example for use in connection withrecord player type cabinets or the like, such as are characterized bybeing of open-top form and provided with spring-counterbalanced tops,covers or lids, which are hinged thereto so as to be movable betweenvertically standing open and horizontally extending cabinet-closingpositions. When in cabinet-closing position the latch device engages astrike carried by the closure, thereupon holding the latter in closedposition until subsequently released as by manual pressure on the latchrelease button; whereupon the closure counterbalance spring mechanismcauses the closure to swing to cabinet-open position. Thus, it will beunderstood that the invention is equally applicable to closures of theupwardly swinging lid types, or to closures of the horizontally swingingdoor types.

Whereas numerous latch mechanisms for the aforesaid purposes have beenpreviously devised, it is an object of the present invention to providein a latch device as aforesaid an improved overload guard feature,whereby the latch mechanism per se will be amply protected againstdamage in the'event that the cabinet closure is inadvertently forcedopen against the latch holding action.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved latch deviceas aforesaid wherein the manual control component of the latch maycomprise any one of a plurality of standard shaped but differently sizedfork- I shaped members; whereby upon selection of a member of the properlength (according to the wall thickness dimension of the cabinet part towhich the latch mechanism is to be applied), the latch mechanism will bethereby tailored for installation in cabinets having wall structures. ofvarying thickness dimensions.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved latchmechanism as aforesaid, wherein the latch support hingebracket of themechanism is positionally adjustable on the main latch base member inimproved manner. Hence the base member may be initially installed on thecabinet at approximately the correct position, following which the latchhinge bracket may be finally adjusted relative to the main latch basefrom externally of the device with ease and facility. This insures thatthe cabinet closure or lid may be assembled so as to be held in flush(or other preferred relation) to the adjacent cabinet structure, andthat the latch and strike devices of the mechanism meet in properrelation in spite of any dimensional variances such as may appear in theparts ice comprising the assembly, deviating from the prescribedspecifications therefor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, by way of example,through a cabinet having a vertically hinging lid, equipped with a latchmechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as suggested by line 2-2 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a disassembled view in perspective, of the major components ofthe latch mechanism; and

FIG. 6 corresponds to FIG. 1 but shows application of the latchmechanism to a different type strike device.

As shown by way of example in the drawing herewith, the invention isillustrated as being embodied in a cabinet comprising a front wall panel10; a back wall12; side walls 14; and a top cover or lid 15 which ishinged as indicated at 16 (FIG. 1) to the cabinet structure so as to beswingable between horizontal cabinet-closed and open positions as shownby the solid and broken line illustrations, respectively, in FIG. 1. Thecabinet cover panel 15 carries a strike 20 of the apertured angle-platetype, illustrated herein as being connected to the lid 15 by wood screws22. However, it is to be understood that any other suitable type ofstrike device may be employed for engagement by the latch mechanism ofthe present invention, as will be explained hereinafter.

The latch device of the invention is shown herein to comprise a mainlatch support base member 24 which, as best shown in FIG. 5, is ofgenerally box-like form open at one side and at the bottom end thereof.The back wall portion 26 of the base memer 24 is apertured as indicatedat 27, 27 to accommodate mounting screws 28, 28; whereby the base may bemounted against the inside surface of the cabinet front wall portion 10.The opposite side wall portions 30, 30 of the base member 24 areprovided with prongs 32, 32 (FIG. 5) adapted to dig into the relativelysofter material of the cabinet front wall panel 10 when tightenedthereagainst by means of the screws 28. Thus the base member may befirmly anchored relative to the cabinet front panel 10 at the time ofinitial installation in the cabinet.

It is a particular feature of the present invention that when the latchsupport base member is installed it need only be approximately correctlylocated relative to the lid strike member, without regard to any typicalmanufacturing inequalities and/ or deviations from dimensionalspecifications for the cabinet and/or latch mechanism parts; therebyeffecting substantial labor cost economies in connection with assemblyof the hardware on the cabinet. This desirable result is attained byprovision of a separate pivot-bracket member as shown generally at 34which is drilled and tapped as shown at 36 to accommodate a machinescrew 38. The screw 38 slide-fits through a slotted portion 39 of thebase member 24, thereby permitting the bracket member 34 to bepositionally adjusted on the base member before tightening of the screw38 and locking of the bracket 34 in position relative to the coverstrike 20. Further to guide and hold the bracket in proper alignmentwhile being adjusted, the base member 24 is formed with a guide slot 40into which a bent finger portion 42 of the bracket slip-fits.

The bracket 34 is also formed with a pivot arm support portion 43 whichis apertured to receive a pivot pin 44 upon which is pivotally mountedthe latch member 45.

At one end the latch 45 is formed with a jaw portion 46 shaped tooperatively engage the cabinet cover strike 20; and at its other endwith an abutment 47 upon which fits one end of a compression spring 48.The other end of the spring 48 fits upon an abutment 49 extending fromthe bracket 34; and thus it will be seen that the latch bar 45 is at alltimes spring biased towards strike-engaging position.

A combination latch retainer and push device is provided as indicatedgenerally at 50 (FIG. The device 50 comprises a fork-shaped memberhaving parallel tines or legs 5252 joined at a bridge portion 53 whichis necked-down as shown at 54 to accommodate thereon a push-button asshown at 55. Each leg 52 is bent to provide a forwardly directedabutment portion 56 intermediately of its length. The front wall panelof the cabinet structure is bored as illustrated at FIGS. 1, 4, toaccommodate a metal sleeve or ferrule 57 which in turn slidably supportsthe push-button 55; and the inside surface of the cabinet wall 10 iscounter-bored or recessed as shown at 58 (FIG. 4) to freely accommodatethe shoulder portion 53 of the device, while at the same time providinga base upon which the shoulder portions 5656 of the device bear to stopthe outward travel of the device 50 in response to action of the spring48. The ends 60-60 of the leg portions 5252 are arranged to slipfit inguiding relation through apertures as shown at 6262 in the main basemember 24.

Hence, when the parts are relatively assembled as illustrated herein,with the fork-shaped control device 50 straddling the latch bar 45, theaction of the spring 48 will cause the latch bar to press the legabutment portions 56-56 against the inner surface of the cabinet wall asshown in FIG. 4. However, upon application of manual pressure againstthe push-button 55, the latter will cause the latch bar to rock againstthe action of its spring 48 until the jaw 46 at the opposite end of thelatch bar pulls out of engagement with the strike 20, thereby releasingthe cabinet cover to rise or pop-up in response to the action of itscounter-balance spring 16.

As previously stated, it is a particular feature of the invention thatthe pivot bracket 34 is vertically shiftable on the main support basemember 24. Hence, at the assembly operation the latch parts may beslip-fitted together and the base member 24 may then be jig-positionedon the wall panel 10 and permanently fastened thereon by means of thescrews 28--28. Then, to suit the latch mechanism to each installationenvironment, having regard to manufacturing tolerances and/ orinadvertent dimensional deviations; as a final step of the cabinetassembly operation the pivot bracket lock screw 38 may be loosened topermit the latch bar to be positionally shifted relative to the strikeso as to bring the parts into optimum operational alignments, whereuponthe screw 38 is tightened to complete the final adjustment and assembly.

Another feature and advantage of the device of the invention is that thelatch control device may be easily fabricated to suit any cabinet wallthickness dimensional changes as may be encountered for example in amass production operation wherein runs of cabinets of different wallthickness may be alternately scheduled. In such cases there will be kepton hand stocks of standard parts and appropriate assortrnents of latchcontrol devices of standard form but of suitably various stem lengths,so that according to the wall thickness dimensions of the cabinets beingassembled during any production run the parts of the mechanism will bereadily available and fed to the production line in the manner of anystandard-parts operation. The term stem lengths as used herein refers tothe dimension indicated at 70 (FIG. 5).

It is still another feature of the mechanism of the present inventionthat the latch jaw portion 46 is so shaped at its strike engagingsurface as to be inclined away from perpendicularity relative to theoperative centerline of the latch member when in strike engagingposition. Therefore, in event that the cabinet cover 15 is inadvertentlypressured toward open position while the latch parts are in engagementwith the strike member, thereby avoiding damage to the mechanism. FIG. 6illustrates application of the latch mechanism of the invention to adifferent form of cabinet lid and strike device. In this case the strikeis illustrated at 21 to comprise a simple fiat plate of metal aperturedto receive the jaw of the latch bar.

Therefore, it will be apparent that the invention provides an improvedlatch mechanism, applicable either to up-rising cover or horizontallyswinging cabinet door devices, or the like; and that although only oneform of the invention has been illustrated and described in detailherein, various changes may be made therein without departing from thespirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. -In a cabinet or the like having an open face and a cover paneltherefor movably mounted thereon and carrying a latch strike device, theimprovement compris mg:

a latch mechanism mounted on a wall portion of said cabinet forreleasable engagement with said cover strike device wherein said latchmechanism comprises;

a base member rigidly mounted on said wall portion of said cabinet, saidbase member including opposite side walls engaging said wall portion ofthe cabinet in outstanding relation thereto, and a back wall joiningsaid side walls and presenting an inner face disposed in spaced relationto said wall portion of the cabinet;

a pivot bracket member mounted on said inner face of said back wall, andincluding an outstanding arm between said side walls;

a latch member pivotally mounted on said outstanding arm and having ajaw portion adapted to engage in latching relation with said strikemember;

spring means biasing said latch member toward strike engaging position;

a sleeve carried by said wall portion of the cabinet;

and a latch release having a push button slidably received in saidsleeve being bifurcated to provide a pair of legs straddling said latchmember and slidably received through said back wall.

2. A cabinet latch mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said springmeans is seated against said pivot bracket member and said pivot bracketmember is adjustably connected to said back wall so that said pivotbracket, said spring means and said latch member may be shifted as aunit relative to said base member and said latch release.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,348,715 8/ 1920 Grending.1,805,789 5/1931 Stuart et al. 292127 2,199,467 5/ 1940 Saunders 292-221X 2,494,048 1/ 1950 Ledin 292227 2,880,452 4/ 1959 Forgach 292-127 X2,947,560 8/1960 Klee 292--'251.5 X

MARVIN A. CHAMPrION, Primary Examiner.

J. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner,

1. IN A CABINET OR THE LIKE HAVING AN OPEN FACE AND A COVER PANELTHEREFOR MOVABLY MOUNTED THEREON AND CARRING A LATCH STRIKE DEVICE, THEIMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A LATCH MECHANISM MOUNTED ON A WALL PORTION OFSAID CABINET FOR RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID COVER STRIKE DEVICEWHEREIN SAID LATCH MECHANISM COMPRISES; A BASE MEMBER RIGIDLY MOUNTED ONSAID WALL PORTION OF SAID CABINET, SAID BASE MEMBER INCLUDING OPPOSITESIDE WALLS ENGAGING SAID WALL PORTION OF THE CABINET IN OUTSTANDINGRELATION THERETO, AND A BACK WALL JOINING SAID SIDE WALLS AND PRESENTINGAN INNER FACE DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID WALL PORTION OF THECABINET; A PIVOT BRACKET MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID INNER FACE OF SAID BACKWALL, AND INCLUDING AN OUTSTANDING ARM BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS; A LATCHMEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID OUTSTANDING ARM AND HAVING A JAWPORTION ADAPTED TO ENGAGE IN LATCHING RELATION WITH SAID STRIKE MEMBER;SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID LATCH MEMBER TOWARD STRIKE ENGAGING POSITION;A SLEEVE CARRIED BY SAID WALL PORTION OF THE CABINET; AND A LATCHRELEASE HAVING A PUSH BUTTON SLIDABLY RERECEIVED IN SAID SLEEVE BEINGBIFURCATED TO PROVIDE A PAIR OF LEGS STRADDLING SAID LATCH MEMBER ANDSLIDABLY RECEIVED THROUGH SAID BACK WALL.